NIXIE Tube Programmable Frequency Display
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- How to build a programmable frequency counter for your favorite receiver, with "off the shelf parts!" Give that old radio receiver a digital NIXIE tube display. No special programming required. Join Paul in the Lab as he thoroughly explains how this, and many other frequency counters work.
Part 1 of this series: • The NIXIE Tube, and Ho...
Part 2 of this series: • The Crystal Oscillator...
Restoration of the ECHOPHONE EC-1: • Echophone EC-1 Tube Ra...
CIRCUIT CORRECTION as follows:
On the schematic, locate the first 74HC192 at the right of the screen. You will notice pin 14 is connected to pin 11 of the next 74HC192, (to it's left.) "Omit that connection," and tie all the pin 14's of the 74HC192's together. There will be one more video in this series showing the build of the bakelite clock case, nixie counter. I will go over the schematic changes in that video.
In my opinion, Paul's videos are, by far, the best. The level of detail and the clarity of his explanations allow the viewer to learn so much. Watching these videos is must. I await eagerly for each one.
Glad your enjoying the channel Bubbatech!
Incredible theory detail. I built one years ago using 74192 synchronous 4 bit up-down counters for a pro audio tape recorder tape footage search counter. it was a lot of work and complex with point to point wiring similar to yours, but finally got it to work.
Your finished product with the 5 individual ckt boards is very neat and clean.
Thanks!
Dear Mr Carlson, I'm neither a big fan of electron tubes nor a HAM radio enthusiast, but I'm watching your videos with the uttermost pleasure, only because of your excellent troubleshooting, very clean and professional modifications and the enormous amount of things one can learn from you. Keep up the great job!
Thanks! Glad your enjoying the channel.
A lot of your projects are on topics popular in the '70s and '80s, but have somehow been forgotten. Its immensely useful.
Sir, you have a rare gift while being very knowledgeable, still have the skill to teach others clear as day how relatively complex things work. Very impressive. Due to illness I could not have an electronics training but now, 40 years later, I can learn a bit and enjoy basic electronics stuff by watching your video's. So thank you!
You are an amazing teacher.
I have a background as an electrician but I have always been poking around in electronics.
These last 5 (6?) years I've been learning more about electronics than I ever did in school and guys like you, Julian Illet, Dave Jones at the Eevblog and many more has been a great help.
Thanks and keep up the good work!!
Glad you enjoying Richard!
I love when Mr. Carlson says "and it's just that simple" and I'm still trying to keep up. haha
Yes, or when he finds something that looks like a lost cause disaster to me and he says "so here is how I fixed that."
Yeah focusing for 1 hour 16 minutes and learning new things, understanding it all isn't easy for most people. If you actually achieved that, great job. I need multiple viewings and breaks :D
+4mb127 There defineately a many pauses, and some rewinding. Paul is a very smart fellow. Us mere mortals are greatful for his hard work.
I usually down a shot when he says "you're doing so at your own risk". That's why I kept this video for a Friday evening, because I expected to get hammered. But I'm really disappointed by this one. ;)
try taking a shot every time AvE uses a non-english word. good thing his videos are short. lol
I wish I had a teacher like you when I went to University studying Electrical Engineering. I hardly use that skill now with this throw away society. I mostly use my electrical skills in Maintenance but more often restorations which your channel excels in, so I'm here again so Giday from Australia.
I really love your videos. They get me thinking how I wish there had been resources like this when I was a youngster. In many ways, it is as if the internet has finally fulfilled the expectation of television, which was expected to be a great educational medium but did not fulfill that role; we can now understand why. Not enough bandwidth, no ability to watch on demand, and an inadequate pool of content (TV production being hugely expensive and labour intensive). Nobody could afford to make many programmes about things like nixie tube counters and the myriad other subjects without mass appeal in the millions of people.
Thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm as a video maker and teacher.
Thanks for your kind comment!
Paul, I like how you explained the design, function and application of this frequency counter so detailed. What really impressed me, how precise it is. Also thank you for all your reliable work.
For the IF null, you could use 10 position BCD switches to enter the required code. That way you could easily enter anything without being limited to a number of presets.
Great work again!
Love how this series plays on ICs that were available 30 years ago and STILL relevant today. :)
Your videos are always so easy to understand!!
I bought a HP5216a Nixie Tube Frquency Counter and your video came out just in time to help me understand the circuitry.
Keep up the great work.
these videos will be watched thousands of years from now!
I chuckly when you say" and its just that easy". You are amazing
Don't think board layout can get any better than that. Awesome work. Sometimes when I work (as a hobbyst on tube radios mostly) I have a computer nearby that plays videos from your channel on the background. Helps me focus :)
Glad your enjoying George!
This will be my next big project! I'm looking at buying a breadboard just like your 3m, but I've found the company that makes them, and they are a bit cheaper! Can't wait to get started... Thank you for sharing your knowledge on CZcams, and patreon. I've learned so much from your lessons.
You are very welcome!
Excellent video. Love your channel. I always wanted to build my own frequency counter since the mid 80's. Now I can. Huge thumbs up!
Thanks Eddie!
Around 34:30 you're talking about Nixie tube drivers on PCB. I'd very much like to hear your thought process on designing such a board. I've been fiddling with Nixies myself and have come up with a simple single-tube driver circuit based off of MMBTA42's (MPSA42). Great video, Paul!
I love NIXIE tubes. My favorite number display tech of all time
Well... You sure did take in consideration of all the possible scenarios of "this and that" when engineering this fine nixie tube frequency counter Paul.
I love the way you can program the counter to eliminate the I.F. of a particular radio in question.
Yes I would love to see how to build a "buffer" that wouldn't affect the local oscillator in a radio. Personally I would like to see it done with vacuum tubes, but MOSFETS or the like is also good too.
You're right. What a beautiful clock case for 40's style radios. Fits right in!. Cloning this case sounds good to me!
Love this series!
Darn... I forgot to break out the popcorn {;-) Next time...
I know how much work goes into producing these videos. It is a Herculean effort for you to do so. Please be aware that we ALL out here really appreciate your concerted effort in doing these for the masses out here!
Take care my friend,
Tom
Thanks for the kind words Tom! Glad you enjoyed.
Mr. Carlson you broke my brain with this one! I'll watch this video again and my need to watch it a few times. I'm weak on RF and I totally didn't understand the programming aspect of this counter and how it worked with the tuner.
paul.. you have an awesome channel.. watching your vids has rekindled my interest in electronics and i have learned alot since i became a subscriber,, especially in the audio segments.. thanks for your completye explainations that have befuddled me for years .. its all starting to make sense.. keep up the good work ..cheers
Glad you're enjoying! Thanks for your kind comment as well!
This is shaping up to be the coolest frequency counter ever! I'd love to experiment with nixie tubes. The way all the logic circuits work is a little too much to take in all at once, but still enjoyed the video though and learned a few things.
I would love to build something like this, but I'm just learning this stuff and have no idea how to layout a circuit board, or even make one for that matter. Thank You very much for the in-depth explanations. After watching your video, looked up the specs on a pn2222a transistor and used it to switch on an LED.
Thanks for the video. You have an incredible capacity for explaining things in a way that understanding it becomes a certainty.
I agree also, thanks for showing this afterall I did it 10 years ago on the proto board with 4" tall nixie tubes.... Did it fully work? NO Thanks to Twing Twang made proto boards at the time... and my KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) didn't kick in to realise what was happening - A Dr. Murphy experience for me... hehe
Agreed! If he ever gets tired of the repair business, he'd make a great EE professor!
Dang, I may have to look into building something like this (I'd do a regular 7-segment display of some sort). It'd be a big challenge but I know I'd learn so very much.
and then you woke up and it never happened.
Around forty years ago, I built a three digit "random number generator" which utilized NIXIE tubes,,,, might be time to dig it our of the closet and dust it off! Thanks for an enjoyable video!
Great work Mr Carlson.
Thanks Arindam!
A Nixie-based multi-meter I acquired some years back uses a trick that might be useful here if you're willing to accept a shorter acquisition period. If the displays are powered with unfiltered half-wave-rectified AC, and all counting is performed in the "off" half-cycle, there will be no need to latch the counts. It would be necessary to have a time base that can produce a line-synchronized pulse of the proper acquisition length, but that shouldn't be too hard. Interestingly, the meter only does a few updates per second, but that's handled by having it ignore most of the blanking periods where it could do a clear/count sequence so the values in the counters simply sit there. Clever.
Congratulation one more time Mr Carlson. Excellent video, presentation and construction of a BCD programmable counter.
Τhumb up from me.
Thanks Sam!
That's what I was looking for to understand, i'm working on a project like this already, this video gave me a clear picture of what I'm doing, I really like this guy his way of teaching.
Great video Mr Carlson and many thanks
I like his sit, he looks like hes in command in a operating room of submarine :-)
Thanks for your comment Moe!
55:41: Paul, why don't you just 3-D print some of these cases?
I too had one of them clocks in my ham shack back in the 60's. Wish I still had it.
Great job on the video.
his framing at the beginning of every episode, making him so small compared to all of his devices, is refreshing.
yes please on the buffer circuit, etc. and on designing the nixie tube boards... great stuff Paul...
Fantastic video! The circuit walkthrough was very well presented, and clear. The end result also looks great. A video on a vacuum tube buffer sounds great.
Could one technically employ a rotary switch and some transistors to switch the input frequency so that one can shift the decimal point?
Ideally the switch would go to a transistor on the 100Hz generation section and use that transistor to feed it into a divide by 10 or 100 block and thus shift the display ( I guess you would want a transistor on the board as opposed to running the signal through the switch and back). the decimal point would then have to be hard wired so that depending on the switch position, it moves to its proper place.
I figure as most old radio cases have several dials, you could take advantage of them and use one for the shifting display, and another as a potentiometer on the power supply for display brightness. ( there is probably a better solution than a potentiometer...)
In order to counteract the display lagging could the 100Hz signal instead be 1000Hz and adjust the display accordingly? Is there another way to approach this? Blanking is very neat, but a shifting display strike me as a step up.
In addition to this torrent of questions, what nixie tubes did you use? they look like fine grid IN-8 tubes. although they seemed of higher quality (the numbers seemed very crisp) so perhaps non Russian?
I'd love to see how this turns out inside that Numechron clock case. Please do a follow up video of the completed project and thanks again for this video series Paul :)
Really great series! Using the frequency counter for a digital readout on old receivers is a great idea. I remember those old clocks with that style of case. I also remember the ads in QST for the EC-1! I enjoy the mix of modern and old electronics. Do you think you would ever publish the designs for a project like this? It would be really cool if someone could do a run of circuit boards. I miss the Heathkits and Knightkits. Those were fun days. I want to set up an electronics lab at home so when I retire in another year, I can work on projects like this.
I meant to add that slowing down the clock frequency is an excellent teaching tool. It makes understanding the action of the circuit much easier. I also learned the effect of clock frequency on the resolution of the counter. Very understandable.
Thanks Bill! I may publish this in the future, I haven't made the lower board yet, so it's still a project in the works.
I too would like to get copie(s) of the PCB negatives when and if you decide to post links.
Thanks for the wonderful vids you are sharing. :)
Another great project, love those nixie tubes! As a cautionary note, this circuit may destroy the 74AC14 Schmitt trigger due to the possible over-voltage on its input. The 2N3904 circuit is powered from 12V and could generate swings close to +/-5V, given a moderately high amplitude input signal. The 74AC14 is rated at input limits of - 0.5V and +5.5V (0.5V above the 5V supply). This means that if the voltage swing at the output of the 2N3904 is even above +/- 0.5V, it can destroy the 74AC14, not to mention if it swings +/-5V! So you will need to place a voltage offset and limiter circuit between the 2N3904 and the 74AC14.
Excellent demonstration, Mr Carlson!
Absolutely awesome. That has to be the best video on electronics and counter theory I have ever seen.
Absolutely brilliant demo and explanation Paul. Thanks so much for posting this. I'm going to watch a few more times to try to absorb and understand it all. 73, Bill.
Thanks Bill!
Yes! Mr.Carlson, The more you give us the more we eat up.Now how about more on the digital display circuit diagram. Love all your videos. God bless!
Thanks Mike!
Thank you for this amazing video and the perfect discription how this frequency counter works. have seen a few aspects which I would not have thought about. Yes i want to see a buffer video!
I know nothing about anything on your channel, but I enjoy watching! Thanks.
Excellent as usual fascinatingly good.Clear clean and precise, I just wish I knew where to get the same quality parts, we don't all have such a store house of components. Thank you very much for all your videos. I have watched them all over and over. Still waiting to see you repair Valve Tape recorders and Film projectors!
I again find you to be amazing. I am going to have to try this one. A readout for and old receiver is a great idea, especially the way you have designed it. Thank you.
for something you cooked up on a simple breadboard it works remarkably well. Impressive work and video keep it up :)
Very nice work! You know how to do complex things simple to understand!
Nice video; also presenting these amazing instruments! i had a Tektronix 545 myself, years ago.... Now the classic 453.
Diode array switching also is very helpful with some shortwave receivers that both UP/DOWN convert in the middle of the band. The Hammarlund SP-600 is a good example.
You may have a 455 KHz IF in part of the bands, a 9 MHz IF in another part when you rotate the bandswitch. Through a diode array you can have the counter toggle, depending upon an auxiliary contact in the receiver.
Great video Paul. The vacuum tube buffer would be great and of course the transistor buffer. Thank you...................Berni
PLEASE do a tube buffer that would be cool
Thanks you very much for your video. Having a solid state buffer circuit to the project is an essential add on, please make a video for it. It would be great if we can have a high resolution images of your circuit sheets in this video.
Unbelievably AWESOME!!! Thank you!
So thorough you are almost boring. But in all, I give you kudos for your a job well done. I enjoy your videos and look for update notices on my subscription list. I've worked in electronics, analog and digital for a very long time and you generally give me something new to take notice of and try.
Your audio is great and the effort you make on your videography is terrific. Please keep them coming.
Remo
P.S. since watching your videos, I've taken on the habit of checking my non-electrolitic caps for which end should be toward ground.
Thank you so much for your work on this, and sharing with your subscribers
No problem Chris, glad your enjoying!
That was great. Beautyful circuit. And yes, I would like to see a video on a buffer circuit.
Regards
Nice work love the box Idea. Just wish I could get to that level of expertise but really enjoy watching your work even better
Another great lesson.
Every video I learn a little more and I thank you for it.
A little more information about transistor buffer to prevent oscilators overload would be very helpful.
Thanks for sharing.
73
Awesome video! An hour goes by so fast on your channel... Thank you for sharing!
Another great video, thank you for your work :) I got a job as in a repair workshop beginning next month and one of the main reasons i got it, was my knowledge about vintage/tube electronics. a lot (probably most) of that knowledge came from your videos :)
Wow, great to read Robert!
love this channel, amazing teacher
Constant current was a concept that's always been a little foggy to me. This video cleared it up and now I feel a bit silly because it's so simple!
Excellent job. YOUR CHANNEL IS WONDERFUL Mr. Carlson!
Hi Paul, Great video series! Well, 3 months ago I made a comment that the SONY CRF-320 Receiver video would be hard to Top. I believe this series has done that. Fantastic! I to would like to see both a tube and solid state buffer before this series completes. Many more videos could be made from your ideas in this one. Thanks. 73
Thanks Larry!
Just curious, have you tested this circuit around any RF yet (in proximity of a xmitter)?
Very good sir. I think this the most informative and understandable explanation of how a counter operates that I have come across so far. You have a true talent. Thanks for your time. Will you be publishing the schematics so we can attempt a build of our own?
Always great spending time watching your videos!
I would really like to see the solid state buffer, especially since you already made a vacuum tube buffer in a previous video. I always make mine with op amps but I would be very interested to see what you come up with!
Excellent video Mr Carson.
Thank you once again for a well thought out and produced video. Your presentation methods and explanations beat into a cocked hat anything that was presented to students when I was at university studying electronic engineering.
Thanks Rob!
Brilliant! I love your logic. Thank you again!
Really enjoyed that. Love the old bakelite material. Very nice VOM ya got there. Im also a fan of the blanking, it just looks cleaner. Please do the bufffer vid soon. Since nixies are getting as rare as hens teeth, thought you might be imterested in doing a VFD version as well. Again, thanks for that tutorial, i learned a lot, and a very nice job indeed.
Thanks Rick!
What an outstanding video. I'm going to be happy if you make a semiconductor buffer or vacuum tube buffer. Thanks for all of the work and detail that you put into your videos.
Really interesting and useful, clear presentation, thank you.
You're very welcome!
Awesome video, now I can put those digital logic chips I got laying around into use.
Please Paul, make some kits with this an take all my money !!
Thanks for sharing ...
73
LOL, I may build some kits for the future. Thanks Silvio!
I'd buy one. I'd love to see this on my desk in the form of a clock.
I'd sure buy any and all kits he sold!
hi paul. Thanks for new great video. Please share with us your background. I mean what was your universty etc...
Very nicely made and explained. Thank you.
Yes, Mr. C a buffer circuit would be great.
Yes Paul, Very very good and clear to understand, from olemans understanding point lol . Yes Paul would like to follow you thru the next step and buffer stage.Yes Paul still looking for the little Echophone EC-1, I agree does make a good little receiver at the bench or Operating table.OH!!! the Tektroniox 224 worked out great , that Old style work bench is getting loaded , just need a spot for it , Hummmm wonder where he will put it !!! lol lol 73's paul nice vedio
Thanks Dale!
Big thumbs up mr Carlson
Thanks Allan!
Very very impressive! I want to build one now. Very nice.
Frankly speaking, the counter looks even better without the case.
BIG thumbs up!! really enjoyed watching. please please please do a video on vaccume tube buffer.
Well, I know what I'll be doing... digging out an old nixie project from every bit of 20 years ago, that I gave up on..... lol. weeks and weeks, while trying to get it to do what I wanted, with no success, that is until, watching your video....lol. This old project was for a scale slot car drag strip, 1:87 scale.... modeled after a local drag track that closed down in my city. The display would show the multiplied actual time, so the actual time looked like something normal.... like 14.875 seconds.... even though the actual time for the slot car to go 27 to 29 feet? was 0.00045 seconds, as per, the trip circuits.. ((please note: these numbers are just examples, not actual math calculations)). I could get the segment displays to do everything, but the nixie's, I was missing something, But now, I have to figure this out!!! you made this all look too easy, to not dig in to the closet and yank this part of the track out.. Thank you for the inspiration. Like always, I really enjoy watching your videos, I have not completed all of your yet, it takes me some time to simmer on thoughts, after watching some of yours, lol. I will though, Drew
Glad you enjoyed the video Dru! Good luck with your project!
Excellent video!
Well done and very well explained! I also noticed you use the best calculator casio ever made (of course that's just my opinion :) ). I've used one of these in secondary technical school and later in university BS and use it currently on MS. It works well since than, it must be 10-12 years old or so. Keep up the great work!
Best regards from Hungary!
What a great video this is Paul. Words can not describe it. You really have a head full of knowledge. I would really love to have this schematic in PDF form. And please do a video on the buffer stage. Solid state and vacuum tube :)You really exceeded yourself on this one. I have a small counter that uses seven segment that works similar to this. called a CRC-100.
Thanks Buddy! I will have to research that CRC-100. Good to hear from you.
Absolutely great explanation. Thank you!
I love that nixie tube freq counter. Wish I knew how to build one. They are cool.
hey Paul, if you make a mold of that case could you do a video on that? thanks.
I'm definitely interested in that tube buffer board design. I learn a lot from those board designs!
I've been loving this series -- I've learned huge amounts from it! Do you have a Patreon? Have you considered something like that, so we can help support the effort you go to for these videos?
Hi Gwen. Thanks for your kind comments, and offer too. I may set up Patreon in the future. That might allow me a little more video time.
Do the buffer with solid state first, space consideration, and the tube second. The tube will be nicer for old spacy radios. :)
I think that enclosure is reminiscent of the Art Deco era of architecture.
As always your videos are awesome
Thanks katta!
I would like to see more info about buffering & usage of pull up resistors in logic circuits. :D Tnx & Namasté anyways 4 yr efforts. I like it a big lot. :D
Another great video. You should make this in kit form. Bet you could sell a few hundred of them.
ay didn't expect to find you here!
I'd definitely buy a kit, were it available! At least a pre-made board, especially if the display circuitry was separate or modular (so nixies aren't manditory)
+bassblaster505
Never know where you'll find me. ;)
Thanks Mike!
You mean you can connect a Nixie tube display to your FM radio, scanner or frequency counter? Sounds nice.
Great video. I would like to see a video on a tube type buffer.
Superb video, as usual. Thanks a lot!!